1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to magnetic separators and, more particularly, to a magnetic separator in which material is caused to be moved through a series of magnetic fields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a common practice today to recycle or reuse any material comprising an article which has reached the end of its useful life. Most often this material consists of metal, glass, plastics, paper, and the like, which are intermixed. Before they can be reused, these materials must be separated into the various components. This is a very time consuming process and any mechanism which tends to decrease the time involved or increase the efficiency of such a process would be desirable.
Metals, especially those which are magnetic, are easily separated from these other materials by employing a magnetic field to attract magnetic metallic material and draw it away from the remainder of material. It is most desirable that this metallic material be free of any other material. This is difficult since non-magnetic material often has a tendency to cling or become entrapped in the magnetic material which is being separated. Separation of magnetic and non-magnetic material is aided if the material is agitated and gyrated so that the non-magnetic is discarded and only the magnetic material is transported to the discharged zone for magnetic material.